1926 FRANKLIN Series 11 A Sports Touring NO 03

The Franklin Automobile Company was an American manufacturer of automobiles in the United States between 1902 and 1934. It was located in Syracuse, New York.

Nicknamed “The Car Beautiful” it was truly innovative using air cooled engines, and lightweight and flexible construction. Franklin was the first car to feature 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder engines. Throughout its history, Franklin was a luxury brand and competed with other upscale companies of the day. As such, it fell victim to the Great Depression along with many other luxury car manufacturers.

Franklin sold about 150,000 cars over the course of the more than 30 years of its existence.

In 1927 Charles Lindbergh, fresh from his Trans-Atlantic Flight, visited Ottawa to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Confederation and a 1926 Franklin Open Touring car such as this one in the Lang Collection carried him down the parade route to Parliament Hill.

Franklin accounted for many other automobile firsts during its life time. Among these were:

Fundamental features such as light unsprung weight, full elliptic springs and air-cooling appeared in first car marketed (1902).

First in valve-in-head cylinder (1902).

First in throttle control (1902).

First float-feed carburetor (1902).

First 6-cylinder engine (1905). This engine was exhibited at the 1906 Auto Show in New York.* First to employ drive through springs (1906).

First to use transmission service brake (1906).

First to adopt automatic spark advance (1907).

First to use individual re-circulating pressure feed oiling system for engine (1912).

First to use exhaust jacket for heating intake gases (1913).

Pioneered closed bodies. First production sedan (1913).

Pioneered aluminum pistons (1915).

First to use an electric carburetor primer to facilitate cold weather starting (1917).